Hike One designs high-end user interface for luxury yachts

A premium control platform in three months’ time

Van Berge Henegouwen integrates the latest luxury technology for controlling entertainment and smart living on board super yachts. They asked us to develop, in just three months, a premium, easy-to-use professional user experience system to show at the Monaco yacht show. Yacht owners like to keep up with technological gizmos and trends, while their personal staff and ship crew should be able to operate all features intuitively.

Pressure cooker start

After we did a quick expert review on the system called Pivot, we determined the scope in a two day pressure cooker kick-start. The goal was to improve usability, create a premium user experience and make sure the system can harness all domotics and entertainment functionalities.

“Cooperating with Hike One has yielded wonderful results. At the yacht show in Monaco we were the 'talk of the town' in a good way. Both new and existing customers have put in many requests.”
Ameet Sarvaiya
Chief Technology Officer at Van Berge Henegouwen

Personalising the experience

We expanded on the nifty white label system that was already in place so that the VBH Pivot product can easily be skinned to suit any yacht. You can even choose your ship’s own (brand) colours.

Shortcut to most used applications on board

Previously, every light switch, heater, and volume button had to be operated manually. We connected all appliances to the system and developed a feature that allows for a complete systems check from the ship’s deck, a cabin, or even on shore.

Creating bespoke environments and soundscapes

Yacht owners no longer have to call Tech Support anymore to create their favourite entertainment and lighting scenarios. The new interface takes them through the process step-by-step, so they can create presets to match their every mood in minutes.

An interface that guarantees high quality

The user interface had to align with the luxurious appearance and accompanying price tag of these super yachts. We needed to set a standard with the right balance and hierarchy, so that future yacht owners would feel at home.

400 icons in 4 days

The interface changes came with a whole new range of icons, for instance for opening and closing windows or curtains, and for moving the television set up and down. With an average of 100 units per day, the visual design team managed to create an immense number of icons that were implemented in the system.

“Pivot looks premium and is easy to use: we’re happy to have delivered such a professional user experience in a relatively short period of time”
Suzanne Wensveen
Team Lead Interaction Designer